Accurate assessment of fluid saturation distribution in a subterranean formation (often referred to as a reservoir) and its evolution over the life of a field is one of the principal jobs of oil and gas operators. This assessment uses inputs from multiple disciplines and integration of different and occasionally non-corroborating sources of information. A high degree of uncertainty permeates into the final assessment of distribution that may emanate from measurement errors, modeling gaps, interpretations, and a lack of detailed knowledge and characterization of the subterranean formation.
Integration of multiple data into a cogent predictive model of a reservoir may be problematic. The predictability of the reservoir model depends upon the level of integration to simulate the production and injection history of the reservoir. The process of making the reservoir model more predictive through its ability to match the history of the field is known as history matching. The history matching process is a continual process and often one of the primary functions performed by asset teams of the field operators. In some cases, the efforts from multi-disciplinary teams involved in the history matching process may span several years.